The Chapel, EFC | St. Joseph, Michigan: Recent Episodes
The Chapel, EFC
Giving you hope, truth, and knowledge about God's Word and His love for you. We hope you find The Chapel as your place to belong. Learn more about The Chapel at www.YourPlaceToBelong.com
Sermon by Corey Kugle. During this service we will be recognizing and commissioning Julia Spriegel as she prepares to go to Kenya as a missionary.
Sermon by Pastor Jacob Baker. A special service and message for students who are graduating.
A special service for Phil and Lisa Bubar, celebrating and thanking them for their many years in ministry
Question, what is THE #1 love flower? The rose? For sure it’s not a dandelion, yet we’ve all given that to our moms when we were little. We’ll see what the “real” love flower is in my message. But giving flowers, gifts, saying “I love you,” those all come up short. To express genuine love … well that’s what we’ll see from the Apostle John in his first letter, 3:10-18. And that love is to be seen in God’s children, every believer, because we are His child, if we’ve been born of Him.
Everything we do is tied in with business in some way …energy, manufacturing, textile, etc. And I would assume we all want honesty in business. So who is the most dishonest business person? We have to wait and see what happens to Mr. Sam Bankman Fried, as he has not yet been found guilty of anything. We go back to 2009 and look at Bernie Madoff, being found guilty of defrauding 4,800 clients of $65 billion. In contrast to him, I would uphold Mr. James Cash (JC) Penny, who forever changed the way retail business would operate. However there is one area of greater importance where honesty needs to be seen, and that’s what we’ll see in our study of Luke 2, looking at the honesty of the Shepherds.
Sermon Outline: https://faithconnector.s3.amazonaws.com/yourplacetobelong/files/12-18_outline_full_sheet.pdf
Do you people who are “righteous,” they do what is right, but they are pretty hard-nosed about what is right and thus lacking grace? Likewise, do you know people who are so gracious that they never take a stand for doing what is right or speaking out on what is right, because they don’t want to offend anyone? Hmmmm. So what’s the correct position? That’s what we’ll see Sunday as we look at Joseph, Mary’s husband, in Matthew 1:18-25.
Question for you: What are you like when something really great happens to you?
You win an award for being the outstanding student of the year, or at work,
your project was so successful, you got a bonus and national recognition.
So how do you react? Do you say, “I am the greatest!” Probably not.
Do you express humility outwardly by saying, “Oh, it’s no big deal,” and you wobble your head as you say it because you know what you accomplished was amazing. And YOU ARE amazing. But diminishing the truth isn’t humility. So how should we react as committed followers of Jesus. Let’s be like Mary … That's what we’ll see on Sunday.
What’s the motto for the Boy Scouts of America? “Be prepared!” Does that describe you? I love that feeling of “being prepared.” We do all we can to be ready and then, what?
Let the Lord make the changes He wants to make. But I wonder how many times we have delayed God’s working because we haven’t done our part? Well on this first Sunday of Advent, we will see that God promises to prepare us, His people, for the coming of the Messiah. For sure God will do His part. So what’s the issue? We’ll find out on Sunday.
Sermon Outline: https://faithconnector.s3.amazonaws.com/yourplacetobelong/files/11-27_outline_full_sheet.pdf
Pastor Corey talks about Overcoming Deception of the enemy.
Sermon Outline: https://faithconnector.s3.amazonaws.com/yourplacetobelong/files/11-20_outline.pdf
Have you ever played a “get to know you game” called “Two Truths and a Lie”?
Well, every fall Pastor Phil and his wife Lisa invite those who are newer to The Chapel to come to their home for a night of fellowship – so they can get to know each other. And guess what game they play… at the PASTOR’S house? A game about – lying. Can you believe it?
Lying is everywhere since Satan lied to Adam and Eve. And John is concerned that the church would not be deceived by those who lie about who Jesus Christ is. John even calls them Antichrists. John goes on to encourage the church so that we can know who the liars are. That is what we will discover in our next lesson text, 1 John 2:18-22.
I have a question for you: Can you have your cake and eat it too? No, unfortunately, we can’t. Can we root for U of M and Michigan State? No. And then you throw in Notre Dame – how does that work? It can’t. For sure … we can’t root for Ohio State. Am I biased? Can you love “country” AND “classical?” Not in my house. We know that life is not always so black and white, so clear cut. What about spiritually? Can we be in love with the Lord and the world? Hmmmm. That’s what we’ll examine on Sunday in 1 John 2:15-17.
When life feels overwhelming to us, when there’s too much “on our plate,” or just too many demands, what do we need? It sure would be nice to have some encouragement, wouldn't it?
But generic encouragement doesn’t necessarily work. That’s because what overwhelms me in my stage of life may not overwhelm you. We need encouragement that is fitting to us in our stage of life. And that’s what John gives to the believers in our text for Sunday, 1 John 2:12-14.
John gives us pin-pointed encouragement that will fit us where we are in our spiritual development. And with that, we will be encouraged to live for Jesus no matter what we are facing!
Today we step into the first section of John’s letter to the church at large, written near the end of the first century. And we will begin by asking a few questions like: What is life all about? How do we react to statements like, “God helps those who help themselves,” “Everyone goes to heaven eventually,” and “All religions worship the same God”? John helps us answer these questions showing the contrast between living in the light of God and the darkness of sin, as they are mutually exclusive. So how do we handle sin? That is the big question, because we all sin! We’ll discover John’s answer in this message.
When it comes to art, are you able to study a painting and know if it is genuine or fraudulent? I sure can’t. When it comes to reading the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, can we believe them to be genuine? What about the gospels of Thomas or Jude, are they genuine? Hmmmm, what gospels are those? We will think this through in our second introductory message on 1 John 1:1-4
So much of life is about words... What we say, what we write and read. Question, what is communicated with words, is it understandable? And we would answer, “yes,” as long as we have the context around what is said.
At the end of the first century and through time, many scholars, false teachers doubted the declared truth of Scripture. And there were many false teachers in John’s day doubting the apostolic teaching of who Jesus is. The same is true today. So we will see Sunday, from our introductory message, why we can trust what John wrote.
At every stage of life, we encounter difficult people who can hurt us deeply in many different ways. The text in 2 Samuel 16 is going to show us how to give a gospel response that is full of grace in the face of mistreatment. Join us as we see the way that a life full of grace glorifies Christ, and allows us to be ministering agents of reconciliation!
At every stage of life, we encounter difficult people who can hurt us deeply in many different ways. The text in 2 Samuel 16 is going to show us how to give a gospel response that is full of grace in the face of mistreatment. Join us as we see the way that a life full of grace glorifies Christ, and allows us to be ministering agents of reconciliation!
We will focus on baptism being, perhaps, the greatest reference point in our lives.
In our time of worship, those being baptized will briefly share how they came to place their trust in Jesus as their Savior. It will be a fantastic morning!
For Pastor Phil's message, I would love for you to think through, what spiritual reference or check points do you have in your life? These would be events or decisions you have made that have spiritually impacted your life. And for sure, being baptized would be a key one. And why should it be that in our lives? That’s what we’ll discover Sunday.
On Sunday, Pastor Phil asked you the question, “What encourages you?” And we All know that what encourages him might be very different than what encourages you. We encourage you 😊 to jot those thoughts down and share them over lunch with your family.
This s an overview of the great prophecy of Zechariah, and we will see the encouragement we have from God, to do and be what He has called us to do and be, as well as to trust Him for our future. We also have a great illustration of what brings encouragement.
One of Pastor Phil's favorite movies is Hoosiers. He said that every time he watches it, he gets nervous in the final game; will that small team from Hickory win the State Championship?
They’re so far behind; the team can’t compare to the South Bend Bears. So, even though I know that Hickory wins, why do I still get nervous about the outcome?
When God says to us, “Stop worrying, pray.” or “Nothing can separate you from my love.” and “I will be with you always.” Why then, do we get nervous about the issues of life?
That’s what we’ll explore as we come to the last chapter in our study of Zechariah, and this Sunday's theme; "Christ Is Returning ~ Victory is Mine."
As we are coming close to the end of Zechariah, looking at chapters 12 and 13, (which form a unit) we will think about a few questions like… What would you say is your greatest treasure? And I am hoping you’ll NOT say that it’s material things. Next question: How valuable is that treasure? And if it was taken away from you, what would you do to get it back? Well from Zechariah 12 and 13, we’ll see what is God’s greatest treasure. Any guesses?
How do we react to promises? If someone promises you something great tomorrow, if you do what you’re supposed to do, will you follow through? I would. The reward is tomorrow. But what if the promise maker isn’t reliable? Or what if the “tomorrow” is way out there in the future? Then we’d take into account who the promise maker is, right? And if the promise maker is God … then know He will keep His promise, so we too must do what He’s called us to do. But … will we? That’s what we’ll study in Zechariah 11, one of the saddest chapters in all of Scripture.
Have you had days when you went from one project to another, and then to another, and you didn’t get any of them done, especially the one you were asked to do in the first place? Maybe too often. We’re too distracted.
Well we will see from our study on Sunday, from Zechariah 9 and 10, part 2 of “God Works Out His Plan to Completion,” that God never gets distracted! As He is the Master Composer and Conductor of the universe, He will carry out His plan … no distractions. Therefore, you and me … we need to keep trusting in Him as we do what He has called us to do today, and tomorrow. And it’s not about the outcome, because that’s in the hands of God. This is really about the process of living out our trust in Him, no matter what we are going through.
In our study on Sunday, we are back to Zechariah 9:1-10, as we will see that God is working out His plan that includes the righteous and the unrighteous. And all are accountable to carry out their role, their part, as God puts it all together. And it culminates at the return of Jesus the Messiah.
True or false: Anything we own, if left unattended, it will break down. Of course it’s TRUE! You love your 2018 Toyota Camry. But you never have checked the oil nor had it changed. So it will stop functioning. What we will see on Sunday, Father’s Day, if we fail to care for and nurture each other, putting time into our family relationships, to provide the maintenance required per individual, it too will stop functioning as God designed it to function. Sadly, that is what we will discover in 1 Samuel 2:12-36, in the home of Israel’s priest and judge, Eli. We will take our text and make a number of positive points so that we can have the family relationships God intends for us to have. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
The spiritually lost are so valuable to God that He pursues them and rejoices when they are found, and so must we. We'll be looking at Luke 15:1-7 and how Jesus goes after the one who is lost. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
For graduation Sunday, we celebrate our students as they complete one phase of their lives and enter into a new chapter. As they begin their journey into college, military, trade school, etc., they'll develop new relationships and have new experiences as they grow into the person they are to become. We will look at a deep friendship between David and Jonathan and learn how to find and keep strong relationships with those who God places in our lives. For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Question for you … what is more likely to motivate you? The short term reward? Probably, but the reward is usually consumed pretty quickly. What about a long term reward? But it’s so far out there … we usually give up. But, what if the fantastic long term reward can be yours … not just years from now, but can be experienced in your life today … would you be all in? Well, that is what we’ll explore in Zechariah 8. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Back in the day, when I (Pastor Phil) was in grade school, I had my gum put on my nose for chewing it in class. When I was in Junior High Band, the penalty for talking, the band director would put our hand between two drumsticks and squeeze them … ouch. That happened only once. In High School Band, a few low brass players … not me, would use their mouthpiece to shoot spit wads at the heads of other students. When caught, you were out of the day. Question: Those are examples of negative motivation. Did it work for me? Yes. What does it take for negative motivation to work? That’s what we’ll learn on Sunday from our study of Zechariah 7. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
How do you react to these three statements: 1. “Pain before Glory,” what might depict that? How about track athletes, especially the marathon runners competing for the gold in the Olympics. 2. “Cleansing before Restoration,” what might depict that? How about a terrible gash from a dirt bike accident. 3. “Judgment before Blessing,” what might depict that? Well that is what we will see as we return to our study in the great prophecy of Zechariah. Chapter 5 … “Judgment”! Chapter 6 … “Blessing”! If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
We will look at my favorite Mother’s Day passage from 1 Samuel 1 and 2, seeing some very great qualities in a wife who had a heavy burden, a sadness in her life because of the sin of family members. We will see how she worked through this, and how God answered her prayers. The principles we make are not just for moms or women, but for all of us. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Who is your neighbor? Are you supposed to only love those who it is easy to love? Those who look, talk, think, act, dress, etc. like you? Hear from our Youth Pastor Jacob Baker about the meaning behind loving your neighbor as Jesus addresses it in Luke 10:25-37. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
We live in a very self-centered world filled with thoughts about who's way is right and what would make our lives better. Not everyone lives the same way, has the same thoughts, ideals, perspectives. And our differences can make us not want to interact with one another. But God calls us to pray for everyone regardless of their skin color, status, political leanings, income, or anything else. Take a look at 1 Timothy 2:1-6 as we see how we as Christians, should live "Beyond Me". If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Why do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus? What reasonable arguments could you present for the “empty tomb?” That is what we will discover from the Gospel of John. You will also hear the faith story of Jeremy Milzarski, and how the resurrection of Jesus had no impact on his life until he placed his faith in Jesus as his Savior. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Paul from The Chapel in St. Joseph, Michigan tells Jonny Reinhardt from 94.9 WSJM about the upcoming Wild Game Dinner happening April 28 & 29th. Buy your tickets HERE!
If I asked you, who are some of your heroes or heroines and why did you pick them? What would you say? I am sure one reason would be is that they are amazing in some way. OK, what about Jesus? Is He a hero? Is that all Jesus is? Why will so many people be in church on Palm Sunday … because Jesus is one’s hero? “Look at all Jesus did.” So why will you worship Jesus this Sunday? I am guessing it’s for a different reason. And we’ll discover that reason in John 12:12-36. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
As we begin our Easter mini-series we will look at John 11 and see the last and greatest miracle Jesus performed—the raising of His good friend Lazarus, from the dead. The question we will think through is, "Why trust in God's plan? If God is all-powerful, why doesn't He do what we want Him to do?" Hint: It's not about us. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
If we are going to see God’s abundant provision in our lives, we must be “on mission,” doing what God has called us to do. Our mission is to be a link in the life of another, wherever we are, for the sake of the gospel. It is then that God will provide abundantly, all that we need, to accomplish what He has called us to do. So we should ask ourselves, "What is God leading me to do, or to accomplish for His glory?" If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
BIG IDEA: Let the Restored Wrongdoer, Restore the Wrongdoer. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
God graciously restores His rebellious children who return to Him. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
When we’ve let our boss, supervisor, or teacher down … big time …When he or she was looking for us, depending on us and we failed to … carry out our task … and our boss calls us to their office … How will we be treated? Should we resign? Will we get fired? What about when we have failed someone far more significant than our boss … our Lord, and He calls us to have a talk … because we have failed to carry out what He has called us to do … How will God treat us? What will He do? That’s the question we will explore as we look at Zechariah Chapter 3. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline. For an outline to the book of Zechariah, click here.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
How often have you been discouraged because what you and others thought was a good plan just fell apart? You were convinced God was calling you to this; it’s what He wanted you to accomplish. But instead of God opening doors and things going smoothly, you faced opposition and resistance. And pretty soon, you throw up your hands and say, “Enough is enough,” and you quit! That could well have been how Israel was feeling when they stopped working on rebuilding the Temple, and 16 years go by. But then Zechariah brings God’s message to His people. What they heard from Zechariah is exactly what we need to hear today … when things aren’t going like we thought they should. So what’s the answer? Be Encouraged. No matter what you are facing you can be encouraged when you see who our God is, and that’s our text, Zechariah 1:7-2:13.
If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline. For an outline to the book of Zechariah, click here.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Pastor Phil here. This Sunday we stepped into my favorite book in the Old Testament, the prophecy of Zechariah. The theme is “Be Encouraged! Be Faithful Today Looking Toward Tomorrow.” I took some time and provided some background to the book. About 50,000 Jews returned from exile to their homeland … not that man, about one out of six. But they start settling in. In obedience they begin construction on the new Temple. But they faced opposition from the people who were occupying the land. So they stop. 16 years go by and they hear from the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. While they began to work on the Temple again, their hearts were not right. So Zechariah delivers his first message and calls them to repent … and they do. It is then that they will receive God’s blessing. The same is true for us. If we want to live in the blessings of the Lord, we need to make sure our hearts are right with Him. So we will step into the opening 6 verses and see Zechariah’s “Call to Repentance.”
If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline. For an outline to the book of Zechariah, click here.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
We come to the end of our study in Joel’s prophecy. And my question to ponder is: “When disaster strikes … what follows?” How do we respond? With panic or confusion? Does it put us into an inner turmoil? Does it cause us to be afraid?
Since we know that we are on the edge of the end of time, just waiting for God to say, “Now!” and the events of the end of time will come upon us, how should we react?
We will discover that as we see in Joel 3:9-21 that the end comes with the final battle of the world’s armies against Christ’s army from heaven. And we know who wins. Then Christ will establish His Messianic Kingdom on earth … see you Sunday.
And next week, we step into one of my favorite Old Testament books, Zechariah. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
In our society and from many previous societies, there has been this sacred principle that you are innocent until proven guilty. Thus the burden to prove one's guilt lies, not on the defendant, but on the prosecution. So do we find that principle in Scripture, as the Final Day of the Lord, His day of judgment comes? Indeed we do.
In Joel 3, the prophet speaks of that final day of judgment. And we will study the final battle, v.9-21, next week.
But this week, Joel begins with a trial, explaining why the nations will be destroyed by the Lord. And it’s not that an explanation is warranted, because any judgment God makes is just, and right, and fair. He alone is the righteous and just Judge. But in these opening 8 verses, God makes it clear that the nations will be destroyed in that final day, because of what the nations did to that which belongs to Him. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Since the end of October we've been studying Joel. For a little review we see in ch.1-2:12 – “The Bad,” God punished Judah with a locust plague because of her sinful rebellion from Him. His desire is for Judah to “wake up” and repent, turning back to God. In 2:12-17, we see “The Good,” as Judah did repent. In 2:18-27, because Judah did repent, God took action FOR His people, and that is “The Better.”
But in our text today, we see “The Best,” as God promises His three supernatural blessings on the repentant. This began on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2, and will usher in the Day of the Lord when Jesus comes again: 1. The Blessing of the Holy Spirit, v.28-29. 2. The Blessing of God’s Mighty Power, v.30-31. 3. The Blessing of Salvation, v.32. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Fear. What do you fear...spiders, public speaking, failure?? There's a lot of fear in our world today, but Christ-followers don't have to live in fear about the End Times or facing God's judgment. God's Word lays out what is coming, and Christ & His people are victorious! (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12) If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Corey Kugle and Ric Pawloski join Jonny Reinhardt from Newstalk Sports 94.9 WSJM to talk about the upcoming No Regrets Men’s Conference at The Chapel. For more information about the No Regrets Men's Conference click here.
When Christ returns... All of us will experience the same event, but with different reactions. For those of us who are believers in Christ, it will be a reaction of awe and joy. For others who don't believe, this event will be the most terrifying experience. Evaluate which group you will be in when Christ returns and join Pastor Corey as we walk through 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
In this service, Pastor Phil walks us through Philippians as well as makes a special announcement. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline. If you would like more information about Pastor Phil's announcement, click here.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Be comforted and trust in the God who will defeat every enemy and dwell with His people forever in the new heaven and new earth! If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
When we find ourselves in the midst of a battle, do we have any hope that we can win? Since the war has been won by Christ, don’t be a causality in the battles of life. Join us for this post-Christmas service as we look at Revelation 19 and Christ the Victor who will come again. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Christmas was anticipated by the prophets, announced by the angels, seen by many in that first century, believed by millions upon millions through the centuries, and also called a hoax by some. We'll take a look at Luke 2:1-20 and see God's fulfillment of His promise of sending His Son, Christ, the Savior of the world. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Be watching, because the Messiah is coming. His coming will be cataclysmic. He will bring judgement on the nations. He will come in glory and he will bring peace. Join us as we look at what Haggai 2 says about Christ's second coming. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie...you know the song, right? There's so much to love about small towns, would you agree?! Let's see how God uses the seemingly insignificant town of Bethlehem to bring forth His promised ruler as part of His eternal plans. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
There is one reason to despair and it is because of our sin, but there is also a reason to hope...and that is because of God sending His only Son into the world. God sent us freedom from the despair of sin and the death that comes with it, through Jesus, our King, our Messiah, and our Savior. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Wait. Most of us can't stand to wait! But, we wait for things that are important for us (think Starbucks, Black Friday deals, Hunting!). We've been waiting almost 2,000 years for Christ's return, so how do we be ready as we continue to wait? If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
We don't know when it's going to be but as Christians, we're called to be ready for the return of Christ. We'll look at 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 as Paul tells us what we need to do so that we are not surprised by Christ's arrival. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Hope. Do you have it or do you lack it? How about when it comes to death? Christ's return? Pastor Corey Kugle opens God's Word from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 where we'll see just who can be filled with hope when it comes to these things. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Finish this sentence: “If you play with fire, you will …” In this message I’ll share a true story of a time while in college when my roommate played with fire in our dorm…not the best outcomes. What about this phrase, “If you play with sin, you will …” That answer you have to watch to find out. So what if you don’t play with fire and don’t play with sin…what’s the outcome? Well, that’s where we’re headed as we will look at the wonderful results of true repentance in Joel 2:18-27. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Change. How easy do you change? Do you think “I like what I have. I know how to use it. I’m not changing to something new!” When you go to your favorite restaurant, do you order the same thing because … it’s the best! How boring. (Well, that’s me.) How many times did you change your major in college? Are you glad you did? Change. That’s been and continues to be our theme in our study of Joel. The key word is repentance, meaning to change your thinking or your mind. So we will see from Joel 2:1-17, why and how we need to change. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
What do we do after we've sinned, after we've blown it big time? What is the path forward? We'll learn from the very personal experience of a major Bible figure, and see how his words can help us when we fall today. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
As we read Joel 1:13-20, God’s people, Judah need to be “woke!” And that sure is a very emotive word today. Are you “woke?” Am I? As we study this passage, we’ll see what that means for you and me. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
This Sunday, we step into the first chapter of Joel, focusing on “God’s Present Judgment.” And in Judah, it was a devastating locust plague. In our text, Joel commands all of Judah to … “Hear this!” “Tell your kids what happened!” “Wake Up!” “Wail!” “Mourn!” So what is God doing?
I have a few questions for you:
- How does God get our attention?
- Why does God need to get our attention?
- What things have you lost because of neglect?
If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
We are stepping into a new series, “Being Faithful Today, Looking Toward Tomorrow.” And this will take us into the prophecy of Joel and then Zechariah. Intermixed with these two books, we will also look at key New Testament passages on the return of Christ.
This week, we’ll look at Joel 1:1, and ask four questions by way of introduction:
- Who is Joel?
- What is the message of Joel?
- What is this coming Day of the LORD?
- Where do we fit in?
To get us started, here is my question for you: Do you pay attention to warnings? You’ll here three alarms or warnings. Will you recognize them and if you do, would take the appropriate action? Well in Joel, God gives Judah a warning. But the key for the people of God, those in Judah and us is, will we pay attention?
If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Sunday’s message is the wrap up of the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, making application to our lives. In this series of Judges and the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount we have asked the question, "Doing what’s right according to Whom?" From Judges we saw how we are not to live. Israel in that day lived in disobedience to the Lord. So in the Lord’s sermon, we have seen how we are to live if we want to make a difference for Christ’s sake in our society. So…will we choose to live according to the Lord’s teaching and make that difference? If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
As we come to the end of the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to not just listen to what He says (or for us, to read what is recorded in God’s Word) but to “do it,” or obey it. And if we do what He says, then we are like a wise builder who built his house on the rock. And Jesus contrasts that with one who builds his house or life on the sand. And then the same storms of life come at both houses. So which one will make it to the end? That’s what you’ll find out as you listen. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven..." (Matt. 7:21) How do we tell those who are the TRUE followers of Jesus from those who are FALSE? We'll find out from the words of Jesus Himself in Matthew 7:21-23. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Isn't it a blessing to live in Southwest Michigan where we have just an abundance of farm fresh fruit just like this? But you know how do you evaluate the quality of a vine or a fruit tree? Well, you look no further than the fruit. The quality of the fruit reveals or shows the condition of the vine or the fruit tree. Jesus said in Matthew 7:15–20 that the same is true of people. We have to evaluate and look at the fruit of someone's life and teaching to determine whether they are a true or a false leader in God's church. As believers in Christ, in this day and age we need to know and we need to be able to know how to spot those who are true from those who are false. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Life isn’t always very good. Here’s a question: have you ever made it to the end of a labyrinth without falling into one of the holes and starting over? I never have. And that represents life without saving faith in Jesus. And then when we make that decision, it affects the race of life…things change. What changes you ask? You’ll have to wait until Sunday. But our text, Hebrews 12:1-3 and believers’ baptism shows us that we can make it to the end. We’ll see how to do that. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Take a moment and think about one or two of the most difficult decisions you had to make in your life. Life is filled with tough decisions, and we do need to make them. I am sure that in making those difficult decisions we need to think through the cost, the impact, the implications and the demands of those decisions. Have you ever made a tough decision that put you at odds with society? It’s kind of like swimming against the current, and that’s not easy, physically nor spiritually. But that’s exactly what Jesus calls us to do in our text, Matt.7:13-14. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
How often do you feel that you’re just running on empty? You just don’t have the energy to keep doing what you need to do today. Have you been there? And running on empty certainly impacts our relationships with others. In our text, Jesus is calling us to have right relationships with others as seen in Matthew 7:12, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you...” But if we’re on empty, how can we do that? If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
I hope you're not judging me, because you know I think there's somewhere in the Bible that says do not judge. It's in Matthew chapter 7 where Jesus himself said, "Do not judge or you too will be judged." So is that what Jesus means? If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Every year, we have VBS Sunday where you're invited to join Pastor Phil's fifth grade Vacation Bible School class. Let's listen in.
Worry, that’s what Jesus addresses in Matthew 6:25-34. So I have a few questions for you: 1. On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you place yourself as one who worries? 2. What do you worry about? (And there are plenty of issues we face in our own lives as well as in our society that does concern us.) 3. What would you say is the opposite of worry? Well, that’s what we will see in our study as Jesus teaches His followers how to overcome worry.
What does it take to be “all in”? Obviously, we’re not “all in” when we’re … sitting in the plane with parachute on, or standing on the high dive or on the bridge with that bungee cord properly attached to our leg. No. We’re “all in” when we jump out of the plane, step off the high dive and off the bridge. So too in our spiritual lives, can we be a follower of Jesus, but not “all in”? That’s what we see in Matthew 6:19-24 as Jesus spoke about living our daily lives being fully devoted to Him. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Hey this is Pastor Corey and I'm excited to tell you about a little bit more about my 60 Degree Lob Wedge (golf club) and for me it's a neglected and seldom used club in my bag and I want to tell you how this club relates to a certain spiritual practice that Jesus talked about in the sermon on the mountain (Matthew 6) that for a lot of us is seldom used today but it has great potential and great power to be a great benefit in our lives spiritually. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Did you have a couple of close friends in Middle School (or Junior High School)? Did they continue to be close friends in High School or did you have different ones? What about in college? Do you consider any of them close friends today? If so, that is amazing.
Do you have one, two or three friends whom you are free to call, anytime with any concern you have, and they would listen and help you? Who are they? Let them know what they mean to you.
But you realize, there is one friend who is better than any friend we have, and His name is Jesus. We will remember that on Sunday, as we learn that we can being all of our needs to our loving Heavenly Father, all because Jesus has become our Savior. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
We are completing our look at Ephesians 5, Paul’s instruction to husbands and wives, which we began on Mother’s Day.
The controlling command to this passage is found in Ephesians 5:18, where Paul commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
By way of introduction, I will compare that to sailing. So my question to ponder is…what does it take for a successful, exhilarating sailboat experience?
If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
If we were to analyze our prayers, what might someone learn about us?
- That … God is not very important to us?
- That ... we are pretty selfish?
- That ... we are demanding?
- That ... we have a personal relationship with God?
- That ... we see God as our father?
Looking at Matthew 6:9-10, we will not be analyzing our prayers, but we will look at the pattern for our prayers as Jesus taught this to His followers. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
What are you going to do with your life? My call to you today is to be what I call a “Christianary”: a Christian who is Missional Living. What does this mean? It means to be living in a way that you are always looking for ways and opportunities to overflow God’s work in your life to others’ lives, so that they understand and experience the gospel personally. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Hey, Pastor Phil here. I have a little quiz for you to take:
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Is there a proper way to wash your car? And my answer is …Yes, from the top down.
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Is there a proper way to tie your shoes? And my answer is …Just don’t tie them in a knot!
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Is there a proper was to load the dishwasher? And my answer is …Yes, but I never do that right. So the answer is…the right way is not my way.
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Is there a proper way to pray? And the answer, according to Jesus is …?????
Find out the answer to this last question from Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:5-8. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Hypocrite. Pretty sure that's one word that we, as Christians, would never want associated with our name right? You know there's one kind of hypocrisy that's very blatant. It's a lifestyle or behavior that doesn't match up with what we say we believe. There's another kind of hypocrisy that's a little more subtle and may even look good on the outside—even godly or righteous in a way. We may even do the right things but in the wrong way with the wrong heart and that too is hypocrisy and that too is what we have to be on guard against and beware of as followers of Christ. That's what we're going to talk about as we look at the Sermon on the Mount—Jesus's words in Matthew 6. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
As committed followers of Jesus we realize that we’re living in a crazy time. Too often it seems that what scriptures says is right…is seen as wrong in our society. So how are we to treat those who are dismissive to us or to God’s Word, those who oppose His righteousness? That is what we’ll discover in Matthew 5:43-48. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Happy Mother’s Day! Today and on Father’s Day, we'll be finishing off our marriage series of Doing What's Right in our Marriages not according to society but according to God's Word. We'll be looking at Ephesians 5. Today we will focus on what Paul wrote to husbands and we'll see what it takes to have the best of marriages. Is that even possible? Listen and find out!
Jesus addresses His fifth topic—the rights of His followers—in Matthew 5:38-42 as He preached by the Sea of Galilee. The question we will explore is, "Do we have any rights as a committed follower of Jesus?" We will see how we have to be willing to lay our rights down, and follow Jesus where He leads us, using all He’s given us, to serve Him. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Speaking the truth...is there ever any “wiggle room”? Isn't it OK to exaggerate or bend the truth, just a little? Is it ever right to overstate the truth (I mean it does make me look better before others...)? Find out in the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:33-37. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
What guidance does the Bible give to those considering marriage? Which is best for me...marriage or singleness? Either can be right. Whether we are married or single though, we are all called to live fully devoted to the Lord. That's what we see from the Apostle Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 7:25-40. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
As we have been looking at Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 7, we have been asking the question, "When is enough, enough," in terms of how much can I take in terms of my struggling marriage?
How about turning that question into a positive, "When is enough, enough" in terms of having enough money, job security, exercise...? And that leads to the question, are we ever satisfied in life? In 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, we will discover the source of true satisfaction. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
We are continuing our study from last week of 1 Corinthians 7:8-16 looking at what Paul wrote about marriage and divorce.
The key question is, what can keep us from saying enough is enough? We tell ourselves, even as a believer, “I want out of this marriage!” What does it take for us to make a difference in our marriage?
We'll see that it comes down to deepening our relationship that we have with Christ, that in Him, we don't give up. We can have hope.
If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
When life is coming at you—full bore—and you’re facing conflict, struggles, battles...why would you choose to stay in the struggle, the conflict? Why not just bail out?
We could think about those who faced combat in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, the almost 10 years in Iraq. Why did our soldiers not bail? They were obeying orders, defending our nation, seeking to halt aggressive nations, Hitler, communism, Saddam Hussein.
Why are people in conflictual sports, i.e. football, hockey, lacrosse, etc.? To win. To earn a scholarship. To make a good income. To prove oneself. So why will those of us who are married not bail out and call it quits? We’ll see what God’s Word says in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (7:8-16). If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
How do we look at our marital relationship? Is it about our obligations or our responsibilities in marriage? Or is it about wanting to please the other? Let's see what Paul wrote about marriage, divorce and being single, to the church in the Greek city of Corinth. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
In Matthew 19:7-12, it records the interaction Jesus had with the religious leaders who were trying to trick Him into taking the less popular view on divorce, which just might hurt His popularity with the people of Israel. The religious leaders think that marriage is about involvement. Is it? Jesus teaches that it’s about commitment. So what’s the difference? If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
If you think that marriage isn't a permanent unity of two people...consider this, when you get married, you leave your family, bond to your spouse by and become one flesh. When you combine anything, it is almost if not impossible to split it back up into its former self. Marriage wasn't designed to be broken apart by humans, marriage is permanent because it was designed by God. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com
Divorce has been part of society since the Old Testament times. It was and still is prevalent today. As we start off our new mini-series about marriage, remarriage, and divorce, we will see what God's Word tells us about what God thinks of these three relationships. If you'd like to follow along with the sermon click here for the sermon outline.
For more information about The Chapel, EFC in St. Joseph, Michigan visit YourPlaceToBelong.com